Forevermore Read Free Page B

question seems to do the trick. The MacAllister matriarch turns her attention to Mom and Niall. I stifle a sigh of relief.
    A genuine smile touches Elizabeth’s lips. “ ’Twas the grandest day of my life, the day I first set foot in Glenmorrag,” she says. “The village, with its cobblestones and stone walls and little shops. And this place.” She glances around. “I … couldn’t believe it was mine. The castle needed a woman’s touch, that was for certain. I replaced the tartan fabrics, hired some help, and had it cleaned from top to bottom. At the same time, your grandfather’s distilleries began to do exceedingly well. That’s when I …”
    Her voice trails off. And her eyes harden.
    “Aye, Grandmother?” Niall urges.
    “Nothing. ’Twas a long time ago.” Elizabeth then picks up her fork and knife, and begins to eat, ignoring us all. Niall looks at Mom and gives a slight shrug. Weird. Could she be senile? I wonder. She is really old.
    By this time I’ve eaten my fill, so, in my most polite voice, I excuse myself to head back upstairs. I can only take so much of Elizabeth. Mom seems to understand — she blows me a kiss and wishes me good night.
    The scream of the wind pushes at the cracks of the castle walls as I hurry to my new room. Once inside, with the door closed, I breathe easier. I decide to unpack before bed. Maybe I’ll feel more settled then.
    As I open the armoire, I think about starting at my new school on Monday. I wonder how it’s going to be. I’ve gone to school with the same group of kids most of my life. Now I’ll be joining a class in the middle of their semester, or whatever it’s called here. Everyone already has friends. I’m American, so that will probably make me a point of interest. Who knows? I do know I have to wear a uniform, which really bites.
    I’m folding my last sweater when the hairs on the back of my neck turn stiff. Suddenly, I hear the moan of a bow being dragged across the strings of a violin. I whip around.
    My violin is suspended in midair. I feel my knees go weak and I try to scream but nothing comes out.
    My violin is being played in midair by … no one.
    I blink. Just that fast, the instrument flies and lands on the bed. I let out a small shriek and rush over to it. I grab the violin and bow and hug them to my chest as I frantically scan the room.
    The weighty presence of something lingers, but the room is empty. I even drop to my knees and peek underneath the bed.
    Nothing is there. No one. Not even a dust bunny.
    But I know what I saw. I jump up and head for the door. I have to tell Mom what just happened. As I fling open the door, though, I find Jonas standing there.
    “Miss Ivy, is there something the matter?” he asks. “I heard a scream.”
    “I —” I begin, and glance behind me, then back toward Jonas. “I … s-saw something weird,” I finally stammer.
    A look of understanding crosses Jonas’s face but it’s quickly replaced by one of concern. “What was it?” he asks. He peers over my shoulder into my room.
    I stare at him, unsure of what to say. If I tell him what I saw, I’ll sound like a lunatic. If I tell Mom what I saw, I will as well. She’ll think I’m acting out, trying to find an excuse to go home.
    “Are you sure you’re not just overly tired, miss?” Jonas asks. “Jet lag can do strange things to a person.” He gives me a reassuring smile. “I’ll fix you a nice cup of hot tea and bring it straightaway. Tea fixes everything, you know.”
    I smile back, feeling my heart rate slow down a bit. “Sure, that sounds great.” Maybe he’s right. Maybe I am just jet-lagged.
    As I wait for Jonas to return with the tea, I hover by the door, still a little afraid to go back fully inside the room. But my violin and bow lay innocently on my bed, and the eerie feeling that was here earlier seems to have lifted.
    Suddenly, I feel a deep sense of emptiness. It’s not like me to wallow in self-pity. But this new situation is